


Scratch and Sniff

by cockabeetle, Lisbon (curseofbunny)



Series: Owari Magica [63]
Category: Owari Magica
Genre: F/F, Part Two, fight fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26770630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cockabeetle/pseuds/cockabeetle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/curseofbunny/pseuds/Lisbon
Summary: ana and percy have another fight, with disastrous results.
Relationships: Mariana Guerrero-Suarez&Percival "Percy" Richards, Mariana Guerrero-Suarez/Vanessa Verlac
Series: Owari Magica [63]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815574





	Scratch and Sniff

**Author's Note:**

> POINTS  
> Total: 3130  
> Beetle/Ana:1467 words at 735 +700 +50 = 1485pts  
> Bun/Percy: 1663 words at 835 +800 = 1635pts  
> non-training magi v magi battle nets us  
> 6 EXP each  
> and -2% purification for fighting each other

Mariana had convinced Ms. Richards to let her take Percy out to the park for tutoring, because a change of scenery is usually helpful for getting the brain in order. Ana tries her best to help him with his work, but... she's been distracted and worried since her conversations with Chance and Chara, and the proto-war council with Von, Ness, and him...

After a while, she admits to herself she's not going to be any help to him.  
"Do you wanna take a break, Jefe?"

Percy wanted to be able to focus on the subject. He did. Ana made it a bit easier to focus on science, but his brain still felt like it was buzzing. He set the pencil down, looking up at her. She looked just as troubled as she had all day, which he couldn't blame her for. The meeting with Von and Nessa had given him what he wanted, not them. "Yeah, sure. Want some ice cream, or just, sit here for a bit?"

"If you want something sweet, all you have to do is ask Percitito." Ana grins, flicking her wrist as she plucks a tootsie pop (grape flavored) from behind his ear.  
"This work for you, or do you want something else?" Ana sighed.  
"...sorry I'm distracted. I... already talked to Chance, and I ran into Chara as well."

Percy laughed, the smile coming back to his face. It felt good. "I'll let you take that one, I'm not sure what I want. How did that all go?"

Mariana let out a breath, removing the wrapper and popping the lollipop into her mouth in one motion. She grumbled a little under her breath before finding words.  
"Chance took the news pretty well, actually. I... expected her to be a lot more freaked out than she was. Chara... Chara is so... different, Hermano. She's... observant, and... takes herself much too seriously."

Percy frowned. It was good that Chance was fine, he didn't really know her, but still. Part of his heart sank at the knowledge about Chara.  
"I noticed the taking herself seriously part. She's trying to be all bubbly and stuff, but she also focused on anything she did wrong so hard. I'm just not sure how to even start to tell her."

"She... she does what I do, but... she has more reasons for it. Her wish... it was... so much." Ana huffed.  
"Promise you won't bring it up, when you talk to her, and... I might have some ideas?"

He nodded. "Was her wish as serious as Nessa's? Because I wasn't very tactful. She told me her wish when we were sparring, and I kind of got fed up with the guilt trip and... it was fine, but it was weird. Tense. And then we had the battle and me and you fought, and then the lunch with Von, so I'm not sure where I stand with Nessa right now." He pauses. "I got off topic. Chara."

Mariana sighed.  
"Her mom died when she was little, and her grandparents took her in until they passed when she was twelve. She was in foster care until about a year ago, when her dad showed interest in taking her in. He didn't want her as a daughter though, just a free maid. He'd abuse her, probably physically, and when he went too far one day she ran out of the house and begged Eb to give her the strength to find peace. She got a boost of confidence, so she's more stable emotionally, or something, and she's trying to... get over that. She pretends to be cheerful so no one knows anything happened, she's probably got scars or something she's self-conscious about as well. She wants to be seen as... important, and part of the group, and... she wants to be a singer when she grows up. I... Chance felt more included because I told her, gave her warnings and told her she could reach out. I know you're not as good at... delicate, but... I think Chara might also find it easier to swallow if you frame it like it's a rite of induction?"

Percy wasn't sure how to take that. It explained the girl's actions and attitude, but it also felt... weird. "Rite of induction? How should I do that?"

"Like... 'it's my job to tell you this, we're trusting you with this information'. Like... that sort of thing? I wasn't doing it on purpose with Chance, but..." she sighed.  
"I think it's a good way to do this, to make them feel like we're... relying on them."

He thought about it. Sierra had taken it in such strides, just like him, that he hadn't had to analyze the situation. And making it more of a 'ra ra team effort' type would definitely help with Chara's current track record. She was lonely and scared and wanted friends. He could work with that. "Yeah, I get it. Any ideas on how I can do it without accidentally being an asshole?"

"...you can be delicate with Luis, can't you?" Ana asked, twirling the lollipop stick between her fingers, before sticking the sucker back in her mouth.  
"Treat her like she's Lu when he's crying."

Something about the motion and the words made him freeze. Luis... that wasn't fair. It got the message through, but it wasn't fair to send his heart haywire like that. He breathes out sharply, shaking his head. "Ow. Shit. Fine, I can do that. Won't kill me to be nice for once, right?" He shifts and leans back to tip his face towards the sun. "Anything else on your mind?"

Mariana bites at the lollipop as she thinks.  
"Not... really? It's nothing major, I mean..."

He waits for a moment. "Nothing major like you're avoiding talking about it, or nothing major like it's actually unimportant?"

Mariana paused.  
"Um... the second one?"

Percy sighed and shook his head. "Ana... come on. Talk to me. Tell me what was going through your head. At the party?

"I..." Ana trails off, and runs a hand down her face.  
"Am I... forgettable? Is that why they didn't respond when I spoke, half the time?"

He frowned. "Forgettable? No, Ana, never."

"Then what was up with that?!?" Ana waves her arm in an arc, vaguely gesturing in the direction of the apartment she shares with Vanessa.

"I- I don't know. It felt like they didn't hear anything you said, but I know I did, and I know I wasn't going crazy. I don't know what was going on, Ana. I get why you're pissed about it. I didn't expect them to listen to me, I..." his shoulders sank. "I expected to be your backup, not an actual part of the conversation. Or an interrogation. Not whatever that was."

Mariana groaned, slapping her hands to her cheeks and shaking herself to try and relieve some excess energy.  
"I don't know why it's still bothering me! We went through with my plan, mostly! We... we're not even sticking to Von's weird single leader idea. Why am I stuck on this???"

"Because it didn't feel like they were listening?" He offered. "Because it seemed like they just brushed off your concerns?"

She flinched, and ran her hands down her face again.  
"...yeah. I guess... I thought... we'd be a better team, we'd listen to each other... now, that we're all on the same page. Now that Ness and I are d-dating, we should be able to talk about stuff, right? We... I..." Ana put her face in her hands.  
"I thought I was past this, too..."

Percy had heard that stutter. He rests his hand on Ana's arm, letting her know that he was there. "It's okay. We can figure it out. What happened, why it hurt, how to get the hurt out, and how to go from here. That sound good? Cover all the bases?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry I'm such a mess, hermano..."

He stared at her. "Why are you apologizing? If I wasn't okay with messes I would definitely hate myself. Right?"

Mariana raised an eyebrow at him.  
"You're gonna pretend you don't?" She shook her head, waving her hand.  
"Wait, no, that's not what I wanted to say, I'm sorry. I just... I feel bad for needing a pep talk, I guess? I... I thought I was doing so well..."

Percy rested a hand over his heart, a beat of offense showing on his face before he shook his head. "Cold, anititita! Cold. But, I needed a pep talk last time, right? I was bitter and confused and pissed, and you snapped me out of it. Just because you need someone to snap in front of your face and say 'hey, wake up' doesn't mean you're a bad person."

Mariana huffed.  
"I guess not." Ana laughs, and leaned into Percy's space.  
"I... how do I get over this?"

"I think..." Percy leaned his head onto hers. "You need to talk to them. In private, one on one, and say "hey, this is my issue, these are the things bothering me" and then go from there. And then after that, you figure out how it affects living. If things are fine or if they need to change, if you can be happy with how things are or if you need something new. And for now, we could always just... fight and get the feelings out?"

"Isn't that for you? The fighting thing?" Ana asked, face scrunched up in confusion.  
"I... I dunno if talking is right, either... won't that just upset them?"

"It doesn't have to just be for me, it could help you too. And talking can't hurt, right?"

"...but it could, hurt." Ana mumbled, glancing away.  
"And I don't really... like fighting, you know? What if I hurt you really bad again?"

"You won't. And even if you do, I can recover. It's fine. I always bounce back, Ana."

"You have way more confidence in me than I do, Jefe..." Ana trailed off, glancing away.  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Percy nodded. "I am. I believe in you, anitita."

Mariana huffs, and twists her ring self-consciously as she finally stands, trying to decide what to do.  
"You really want to spar today? Like last time?"

Percy felt his head nodding again. "If that's alright with you?" He had so many feelings and he knew he needed it. And maybe they could actually do better this time, and it'd be alright.

"...promise you'll tell me to stop if you start feeling lightheaded." She held out a hand to shake, biting her lip.

Percy took it, squeezing her hand as he shook. "Of course. This isn't like last time. It'll be alright."

She nodded, and pulled her hand away to hook their pinkies together.  
"If I start feeling woozy, or worse, I'll let you know, too."

He smiled, squeezing her pinky back, just a bit. "I promise. But... what is this?" He glanced down at their pinkies. Was it a thing?

"A pinkie promise?" Ana raised her eyebrows.  
"It's like... an oath, you're s'posed to learn it when you're little, and if you break it you're called the worst names 5 year olds know how to say, and are no longer to be trusted."

His cheeks felt a bit red. "Didn't get to do those much. But, I won't disrespect it. What kind of 5 year old would I be then?"

"The kind who plays in mud and probably eats mud pies, Jefe." Ana giggled.

His cheeks got hotter. "Would you believe me if I said I never played in mud?"

Ana paused, and then nodded once.  
"Next time it rains, go outside after. Go live your best life, Percititititititititititititito."

He laughed once. "Alright. I'll keep you posted, Anitititita."

Ana laughed.  
"Good!" She transformed, and stretched her arms above her head.  
"Are you ready?"

Percy transformed to match, looking at her through his lashes. "Are you?"

"Always!!" Mariana summoned her gun and shot him in the shoulder as she tried to get some distance between them. More places to grapple to in the park, she might have an advantage here. (d8 +5 to hit, 3dmg)

Percy felt the familiar sting of pain in his shoulder and snapped his mace from within his cape, using the long chain to hit her in the stomach. "One request, Ana. Don't go easy! It's better to get all the feelings out!"  
(d12+5 to hit, 6 dmg)

Mariana grunted, eyes narrowed, and shot off a small volley at him.  
"Ow!! Fine!" (d15 +4 to hit, 4 hits at 1 for 4dmg)

Percy yelped but managed to stay standing. Not as bad as it could be, whenever she did those big shots it usually ended up taking things down for good. "Nice!" He used his mace again to get in another hit, this time to her thigh. She seemed like she was trying to get up into the trees, and he knew he wouldn't have much luck getting hits in if she did that.  
(15+5 to hit, 4 dmg)

Mariana grunted, and took a moment to steady her pistol, taking careful aim and shooting Percy with a new move. It felt... really intense, actually? It'll take a bit before she can use that again...  
(d16 +3 to hit Def of 8 (-d4), 5dmg)

Percy noted the bubblegum that suddenly swarmed his senses, nose wrinkling at it. He'd noticed, once or twice, that things smelled sweeter during battles... but this took the cake. Or maybe it just delivered it. "Is that you?" He asks as he takes a few steady steps forwards to hit her with his mace again.  
(d13+5 to hit, 4 dmg)

Mariana tilted her head, eyebrows climbing.  
"Is what me? The smell? Some of my bullets have smells, if that's what you mean!" She shoots off another volley, this one with a little more oomph.  
(d19 +4 to hit, 4 hits at 2 for 8dmg)

Percy cursed and activated his shield in response, throwing his mace at her. "Ow! Fuck. I mean, don't stop, but ow. Lucky. You get scratch-n-sniff bullets, I just have candy corn on my death-orb."  
(12+5 to hit, 2 dmg)

Mariana snorts, fumbling her shot and then dropping her gun as the bullet whizzes harmlessly overhead.  
"Oh my god, Percitititititititito--"  
(d5 +5 to hit)

Percy yanked out a knuckle guard to toss weakly at her, and like many other things, it missed spectacularly. "What? Am I wrong, Ana?"  
(d3+5 to hit)

Mariana was about to continue laughing, when her gun misfires and shoots her in the shin as it lands and disintegrates in a shower of magic sparks.  
"¡¡Ay ay ay ay!! Ow ow ow ow!!!"  
(d1 to hit, 4dmg to self)

Percy dropped the shield and threw another pair of knuckle guards at Ana weakly, laughing himself once. "Are you okay?"  
(3+5 to hit)

Mariana nodded, running a hand through her hair and summoning her bow. She wasn't going to touch her gun for a bit. She takes a moment to aim, breathing in deeply, and gives him a smile.  
"I'm fine, Percy." (d12 +5 to hit, 6dmg)

Percy tripped over a green root, not even managing to throw a proper punch. He yelped, wincing. "Oww...."  
(D2+5)

"Oh my god, do you need a moment?" She steps back, before jumping into a tree to grapple with her legs, hanging upside down.  
(d2 +4, so 16 to hit for 4 turns/until she is hit)

Percy shook his head. "Nope, I'm fine. Just gotta keep swimming." He joked, dusting himself off. "Okay!"  
(5+5 to hit)

Mariana swings back and forth from her perch lightly, readying her bow and loosing a brown arrow with little real power. It flies lazily past the other magi, and bounces off a tree with a crackle of magic. (d3 +5 to hit)

Percy pulled off his knuckle guard to toss it at her. "Why are you even up there?" (17+5 to hit, 2 dmg)

Mariana yelped, and fell out of the tree.  
"It seemed like a good place to be while you got your head on straight, Percititititititititititititito!" She rolled into a kneeling position, taking careful aim with her bow and firing off another arrow, this one a bright pink. (d19 +3 to hit Def of 10 (-d2), for 2dmg)

Percy laughed as the aroma of bubblegum hit him. He was starting to notice more little stuff... it felt good. Really good. "Is my head ever straight, Ana?" He called as he yanked his mace out to hit her again.  
(18+5 to hit, 4 dmg)

Mariana huffs, shaking her head, and prepares another volley. It's as she lets go of the last arrow that she realizes that it was a lot more powerful than she meant it to be.  
"Wait--!"  
(d18 +4 to hit, 10 hits at 3 for 30dmg)

Percy was knocked to his knees by the barrage, his mace dissolving and his knuckle guards forming on his fists. Had this hurt this bad last time? He felt himself getting light headed, and his vision went spotty. "May- maybe we should t-take a break?" He asks, voice sounding weird and slurred even to his own ears. Before he knows it, he's slumped forwards, face landing on his fists in the dirt.  
(d1 3 dmg to self)

Mariana yelped, dropping her bow and the transformation to rush forward and pull him off of his knuckle guards. She reaches into her bag for one of the pots of Revival Powder she'd bought when Salem had first made the stuff, hoping it'll do what the name implied.

For a moment, Percy saw nothing. The world paused and held its cold, cole breath.

Waking up was like coming out of freezing water.

"A-ana?" He coughed, sitting up quickly. "Wh-what was that?"

Ana hissed, as she saw the nasty cut across his nose heal into a fresh pink scar.  
"I... you passed out, hermano. You fell on your knuckles..." her fingers hovered over his cheek, scared to touch.

He glanced at her hand, then her face. "Fell on my..." he reached up to touch his own face, a high-pitched whine escaping him without his consent. It hurt! "How bad is it?"

"It's... not too bad..." She trailed off, and dug into her pocket to find a compact mirror. She offered it to him.  
"Don't poke it, scars are tender..."

Percy turned his face back and forth, trying to process it. "Am I u- no, Von is hot so I'm not ugly. But how does it look?"

"Not... bad?" Ana offered. She wasn't really good at telling what was attractive. Never had been.  
"You're just as pretty as before?"

That felt a lot better. He passed the mirror back to her. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Ana gagged.  
"Oh, if you do I will. Wanna get back to your house, Percy?"

Percy nodded in almost stilted way. "I'm... I'm sorry that this always ends up like this. I don't want to always be the one getting hurt. I- I did try to stop. Do I get credit for that? I don't want to be the one who always causes problems."

"Yes, of course! I'm so sorry I hit you so hard, I didn't mean to." She stood up shakily, and offered him a hand to stand with.

Percy let her pull him up, leaning on her. "It wasn't your fault either, you know? We both got too into it. I don't think I even realized how close I was... I'm sorry, Ana."

Ana held him close, and leaned her head on his shoulder.  
"I'm sorry too. If nothing else... then because you've got a scar now. It's hard to explain them..."

"Well, I already don't talk to my parents, and the only people whose opinions I care about are you, Lu, Si, and..." He swallowed. "I'm sorry that I care about Belladonna. I'm not the same as you and Nessa and Von, I don't know how to turn it off. I don't think I want to."

Mariana sighed.  
"I'm... disappointed, but I am not... angry, with you, okay? I... I don't like her. I will not pretend I could. But... you're allowed to feel what you will. And if you could convince her not to hurt anyone else..." Ana huffed.  
"I bet you could, by reaching out."

Percy nodded slowly. "I can try. Not while I look like this, because I'm pretty sure she'd laugh and then- and then I don't know what. I trust her, but I don't know what she'd actually do." It was probably the pain, but he wasn't sure what the truth of his feelings were.

"You're pretty, jefe. Maybe she's into blood?" Ana nudges him jokingly.  
"But... don't feel pressured to, I just... want you to know I believe in you."

He leaned his head on her shoulder. "I like this better. Than when I was bitter and weird. Friends... feels better. Thank you. I believe in you too."

She squeezes him again.  
"Friends do feel the best."


End file.
